According to a conventional drive circuit for an electromagnetic manipulation mechanism to open and close a vacuum valve of a vacuum circuit breaker, for example, electric current is passed through a closing coil and an opening coil which are provided on both ends of a rod-shaped movable core having a rectangular cross section, whereby the movable core is reciprocated to open and close switching contacts of the vacuum valve coupled to the movable core. The closing coil is connected via a discharge switch to a capacitor that has been charged, and when the discharge switch is closed, the main switching contacts are closed. When the contacts have been closed, the discharge switch is opened to interrupt the electric current flowing through the closing coil. In order to suppress a surge voltage generated at this time, a diode is connected to the closing coil in parallel. That is, when the electric current flowing through the closing coil is interrupted after circuit-making has been completed, i.e., after the main switching contacts have been closed, the electric current flowing through the closing coil is made to flow in a loop circuit composed of the closing coil and the diode (see Patent Literature 1, for example).